Organized Crime & Product Bans

September 12, 2024

New Bill to Crack Down on Retail Crime

This week the Legislature starts meeting again after their summer break. While this return is often a cause for worry about what trouble they will get up to, this week we have some good news to report. A new bill is being introduced that would significantly increase the penalties for organized retail crime (ORC). These ORC activities are not the regular shoplifting of a single person sneaking something into their pocket. These are organized groups of criminals who ransack businesses for as much as they can carry out, and then sell the stolen goods online and at flea markets. 

Last year a survey found that all retailers nationally lost a total of $112 billion in theft, primarily to ORC. US Homeland Security estimates that the average American family pays $500 a year in higher prices due to the impact of ORC. And of course if an employee even says anything to these professional criminals, they are at serious risk of assault. 

The bill will allow prosecutors to request enhanced sentencing for repeat offenders, require the court to look back at other events and add up the total value of all stolen goods over a prior year in determining the grade of the offense (since the items stolen from retail stores are relatively cheap, compared with say a car, criminals can get off with minor charges and keep going back). Being the leader of one of these schemes would be a crime of the first degree, and they would be hit with a second higher charge for sales tax evasion. Money would be dedicated to create a dedicated strike force to assist local county prosecutors in targeting these crimes. Finally, it creates a separate crime specifically for “aggravated assault of a retail worker.”

NJGCA is working in a coalition with the NJ Food Council, which represents grocery stores, on getting this bill through legislative process. You can read their op-ed HERE. It will have strong bipartisan sponsors and hopefully will move through the process quickly and with little credible opposition. 

Plastic Bans?

NJGCA talked to NJ101.5 about a proposal to ban plastic water bottles entirely. You can read the article HERE. Thankfully this isn’t a bill (yet), but it would be a huge problem for c-stores or really any business with a vending machine. Convenience stores are about convenience, grab and go. Consumers are deciding they need something to drink while they’re on the go, picking up something on the way to someplace else. The whole idea is the customer is not planning ahead, which means they can’t be relied on to have a big reusable container with them at all times. If they were planning ahead, they already would save money and bring water from home. They need something light and disposable, which won’t break apart when shipped; or stores will need to install some kind of filtrated water refilling station to stay in business. 

It’s also not clear that this proposal would apply to all bottles, just water. Water is the healthiest, most essential thing a person can buy, why would we want the government to make it harder for people to have access to it? Don’t forget there’s still a mandatory bottle deposit bill that has been introduced and was scheduled for a committee hearing. It would force every business, even those with just a vending machine, to accept used bottles purchased from anywhere, and with no reimbursement to the business for the effort either. Also moving in the Legislature and in some local governments is a ban on plastic utensils and condiment packets unless explicitly requested of an employee. This just makes life harder for workers and annoys customers. Thankfully, the local laws that have moved so far allow for self-serve displays for customers to take what they need without bothering an employee, but the proposed statewide bill doesn’t. We’ve already seen how the plastic straw ban is largely unenforced, with only large corporate chains seeming to follow it. 

Reminder: Special Election for some in North Jersey

Following the death of Congressman Donald Payne Jr. a few months ago, there is a special election this coming Wednesday, September 18th, to fill the last few months of his term. Turnout is expected to be extremely low so every vote matters! One of the candidates, Carmen Bucco, did take the time to return his 2024 candidate survey, which you can read HERE. To vote in the 10th congressional district you must live in and be registered to vote in the following towns: Essex County-Caldwell, East Orange, Essex Fells, Irvington, Montclair (part), Newark (part), Orange, Verona, West Orange; Hudson County-Jersey City (part); Union County-Cranford, Garwood, Hillside, Kenilworth, Linden (part), Roselle, Roselle Park, and Union Township.

Rack Averages

**9/10 rack average was the lowest price since May 2021**

News Worth Knowing:

Member Benefit Partner (MBP) Spotlight: Ameritrust

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Available Real Estate

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**Price Reduction**

795 Route 109, Unit B, Lower Township, NJ, 08204

Contact: Jerry 609-425-8837 capeharborshell@comcast.net 

Click HERE to view listing

Station for Sale

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Also included with the Property is a Reputable High End Auto Repair Facility. Repair shop has all required Specialty and Diagnostic Tools for servicing mostly High End Vehicles. Advertising is no longer used do to an enormous Demand and large Customer Base. Repair Business has has potential for increased profitability and expansion, the business is open to experienced buyers for a possible partnership or profit sharing arrangement. Location is 1 out of 100. Fuel sales make 20-40K a month and repairs can do the same with the right operator. 

This one of a kind opportunity can include seller financing for those with High-Level Automotive or Gas Station Experience.

Contact Greg
908-291-7845

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